As of: March 19, 2024, 5:26 a.m
By: Simon Schröder
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Russia appears to be using American satellite images for air strikes.
An anonymous Ukrainian source shows how problematic satellite images can be.
Kiev - A Ukrainian military source told the US magazine The Atlantic that the Russians are using satellite images from American companies to target their cruise missiles in the Ukraine war.
The evidence is clear, according to the anonymous source.
After a satellite takes an image of an area, a Russian missile attack follows after a few days or weeks.
Shortly afterwards, another picture is taken to assess the damage caused.
“The number of coincidences in which air strikes follow satellite images is too high to be coincidental.”
Air strike followed satellite images – How Putin is exploiting American satellites
An example makes it clear: On April 2, 2022, American companies had requested a satellite image of the rural airfield near Myrhorod at least 9 times.
After the airfield was hit by missiles, someone requested satellite images again.
And according to
The Atlantic
, there are hundreds of such cases in which American companies requested satellite images of the affected area before and after an attack.
Satellite images of Sevastopol.
(Archive photo) © HANDOUT / PLANET LABS PBC / AFP
The anonymous military source was horrified: “Until about six months ago, we could not imagine that private companies would sell satellite images of sensitive areas.” Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernohorenko expressed concern in a statement.
The Defense Ministry is well aware that Russia is also buying satellite images from third parties that could also be used for military operations against Ukraine.
Satellite images as a double-edged sword in the Ukraine war – Putin's tank depots are emptying
But satellite images are also a problem for Russia.
The Russian weapons depots are slowly bleeding dry - and satellite images can prove it.
According to the British news site
Telegraph
, satellite images show Russian open-air tank camps slowly emptying.
In Buryatia, Siberia, the images show how up to 40 percent of the Soviet tank inventory has been used up.
The situation is similar at other locations that can be seen from satellites.
The satellite images are therefore a double-edged sword for Vladimir Putin.
While they appear to give him the information he needs for military airstrikes, they can also expose his dwindling reserves.
It is questionable whether there will be stricter controls as to who the satellite images are sold to.
Andrey Liscovich, who heads an American non-profit organization, told
The Atlantic
that “Western governments should limit and ensure the distribution of satellite images over Ukraine.”
(SiSchr)